Whatever it Takes
by majiklmoon
Summary: UC Loyalist. Kyle and Liz break off from the group and head out on there own. Will they rekindle the flames of their old romance? Post Graduation
1. Chapter 1

_Whatever it Takes_

**Rating:** Teen/Mature

**Disclaimer:** Roswell belongs to first to Melinda Metz, then to Jason Katims and 20th Century Fox. She created them; they killed them. I'm just borrowing them.

_Prologue_

Max sat before the glowing embers of the fire, staring into it, lost in thought. Dawn was breaking over the horizon. One by one, the stars twinkled out as the faintest tinge of pink brightened the eastern skyline. Three tents were pitched close to the fire, and a fourth was set up a little further away. Max didn't think anything of it when they set up camp. He just assumed Kyle wanted a little bit of privacy. Now, he knew better.

A scuffling noise came from one of the tents, and in a few minutes, a disheveled Maria emerged, stretching and yawning as she greeted the new day.

"Morning," she mumbled, not really looking at Max. "Where's the coffee?" 

Max ignored Maria and stared moodily into the embers, as if expecting to find the answers to all of life's problems in the ashes.

"Yohoo, Max" Maria said again, waving her hand in front of Max's face. "It was your turn to make the coffee, remember?"

"They're gone," he said, dully. "They left."

"What, who's gone, who left?" Max, you're making about as much sense as well, as Michael."

"Kyle and Liz, they left. They took off on their own," Max said.

He reached into the pocket of his jacket and pulled out a crumpled note and thrust it at Maria. She smoothed it out on her knee and squinted to read it in the dim morning light.

_Dear Max, ___

_I know you don't agree with me, but I think it's for the best. We've come so close to getting caught, so many times. The Special Unit is on our tail all the time. If we split up, maybe there's a chance we can lose them. Besides, I think you and I need some time apart, Max. Ours has never been what you would call a traditional relationship. We've spent so much of our time together saving each other, that we never really got the chance to even know one another. I haven't even got a chance to get to know me. I'm going to take this time to get to know who Liz Parker is, and to try and find out what she wants out of life. ___

_Don't worry about me, Max; I'm not alone. Kyle is with me. His powers have started to emerge, and he needs me to help him deal with this. So don't worry about us, Max. I'll find you when the time is right. ___

_Love, ___

_Liz_

Maria passed the note back to Max with a sad smile.

"I can't say I didn't see it coming," she said. "You've been acting all king like lately, especially for someone who keeps saying he isn't the king. Liz's plan made sense. We should split up, _and_ we shouldn't split up as couples. Everyone but you saw it. Liz and Kyle just did something about it."

"She's wrong," said Max. "We should stay together. We're stronger as a group."

"Stronger yeah, but more vulnerable too," Maria argued. "Now, make the freaking coffee, and we'll start making plans."

"But why, Maria. Why did she leave, and why did she leave with _him_?" Max asked, allowing old jealousies to emerge.

"You never did understand it, did you Max?" Maria asked. "Kyle was always there for Liz, no questions asked. You can't buy that kind of loyalty. Now Kyle needs Liz, to help him deal with his powers. She's going to repay his loyalty by helping him. It's what friends do, Max."

_Part One_

"This is great!" Liz cried, swinging around a small sapling in the park. "Do you realize Kyle, that we're here, _alone_ without any of the broody alien freakiness surrounding us."

"Yeah, unless you count us," said Kyle. He smiled to see Liz acting so carefree. _This_ was the Liz Parker he fell in love with in what seemed another lifetime. Hell, it was another lifetime. Until Max healed him and gave him the privilege of getting in touch with his new found alien side. He was glad when Liz came to him with her little escape plan.

But that was something Liz had always done. Despite their romantic demise, he was glad they always managed to retain their friendship, and he was glad when she came to him with her problems. When she wanted to convince Max to fall out of love with her, she turned to him. And when her alien powers started to appear, she chose him to be her confidant. And this latest time, when Max just wouldn't listen to reason, it was him she turned to, looking for help. He was glad he could help her. Actually, he was more than glad, because, truth be told, he had never gotten over Liz. He accepted the fact that she was with Max, and that the two of them were soul mates, but a part of him still loved her."

"So, what do you want to do first," Kyle asked, reveling in her beauty and the feeling of happiness she exuded. He loved seeing her this happy. _Whatever it takes,_ he thought to himself. _I'll do whatever it takes to make sure she stays this happy. She deserves it after all she's been through._

"Well, in the short term, I'm kind of hungry," Liz admitted. "Long term, I don't have a clue. Do you think we're far enough away? You don't think they'll find us, do you?" she asked.

"Which you would you be referring to?" Kyle asked. "The alien hunting want to kill us all Special Unit, or the jealous boyfriend wants to kill me Max Evans?"

"Um, both," Liz said, grinning. "Kyle, I'm sorry, I never thought about what an awkward position this put you in, going against Max like this."

"Liz, it's time you entered _my_ reality. Max is not, and never will be my friend. We were together out of sheer necessity, and that's it. If and when you decide to go back, I'll be right beside you, but you aren't ever going to hear me asking you to go back. Now as to what to do next, let's go grab some food, and while we're eating, we need to make some long-term plans. What do you think?" 

Liz smiled, feeling relaxed and at ease for the first time in a very long time. Asking Kyle to go with her had been a stroke of brilliance. She didn't want to be alone. Kyle was safe; he was her friend. There was a sense of security around him. She thought it went back to the days when they were dating. It was a happy, innocent time. Kyle Valenti represented her innocence.

They ate at a local restaurant in town, enjoying the family atmosphere that was reminiscent of the CrashDown – minus the alien theme of course. While they ate they discussed the various options that were available to them. They both agreed they liked the Colorado town, and decided it would be a nice place to stay. It was large enough that as newcomers, they wouldn't be overly conspicuous, but small enough to retain that small town feel they both enjoyed.

Liz used her powers to change their ID's, and they began the arduous task of looking for work. It wasn't, however, as difficult as they might have thought. Liz, out of force of habit, scraped and stacked their plates in a tidy pile, making it easier for whoever cleaned their table. The gesture did not go unnoticed by their waitress who mentioned the fact that they were short staffed and looking for help. Within minutes, Liz had an application in her hand.

"There's only one problem," Liz told the waitress, who turned out to be the owner of the small restaurant. "We don't have a place to live yet, so I don't have a permanent address."

"You kids just move to town?" the woman asked.

"Well, it was kind of spur of the moment," said Liz. "We were looking for a place to settle, and this town seemed to call out to us. It's perfect."

"Well," said the woman, who's name was Vera. "I'll tell you what. I own several small cabins that I usually rent out. I can let you have one of them. When I say small, I mean small, you'll probably be tripping over each other day and night, but I don't suppose that would bother a pair of newlyweds like yourself. You are married, right. I don't hold with you young people living together."

"Of course we are," said Kyle with a grin. "Newly, newly married as a matter of fact." He gently kicked Liz's shin under the table to forestall the vehement denial that was about to come out of her mouth. "We'd love to take the apartment. Thank you very much." 

"And what about you? You planning on working?" Vera asked. "Or are you planning on letting this pretty young thing support you."

"Well, much as I'd love to have that happen, there isn't a woman in the world who could support me in the manner to which I _want_ to become accustomed. So no, we are a working class family through and through."

"Ha, I like you," said Vera. "You got a good sense of humor. "We need another cook if you're interested."

"Well, if you never want to have another customer again, I'll take you up on it, but I'm guessing you don't, so I think I'll just look for work as a mechanic."

Vera laughed again and slapped her thigh. "I like this boy," she said to Liz. "You'd better keep your eyes open, or I just might try and steal him away from you."

Liz smiled at her new boss, and looked surrepticiously at Kyle. He'd always had an incredible sense of humor, but every since they'd left the others, she was seeing this new, freer side of him. She hoped it never left. _I'll do whatever it takes,_ she thought to herself. _Whatever it takes to keep him this happy. I owe him that much after all he's done for me._

They followed Vera's directions to the small cabin, enjoying the crisp fall mountain air. They bumped along a rutted dirt track that passed as a driveway and pulled up in front of a neat white cabin, with a large stone chimney.

"Kyle, look at it," Liz practically squealed. "It looks like something out of Heidi. It's perfect. It's picturesque and quaint. Vera says it's weatherproof and it has electricity and a phone. It's has everything we need."

Kyle inserted the key into the lock and pushed open the door. He stepped back to let Liz go in first, enjoying the sight as she poked her nose into every nook and cranny of their new home.

"Look at the kitchen, Kyle. It's so cute. Oh, and we'll have to get some dishes and stuff. Maybe there's a thrift store in town where we can find something," Liz said. "Oh and look, we have one of those stackable washer dryer combinations. I'm glad, I hate the Laundromat."

Kyle watched, his expression bemused while this strange new Liz explored their new home. He loved the Liz he dated in high school, and he loved the Liz that loved Max Evans. But this Liz, this happy, carefree Liz was somebody new, and he felt himself falling deeper in love with her with each passing second. To distract himself, he stepped back into the small living area and then opened the one door Liz had not yet touched.

"Oh, shit," he said softly. "Look at the one bedroom, with the one bed."

TBC


	2. Chapter 2

_Part Two_

They had lived in their mountain retreat for six months. In the beginning, Liz would talk about their return to the others, but in the past few weeks, she hadn't mentioned it at all. She had grown comfortable in their new lives. It was safe, and they were happy. There wasn't any of the tension with Kyle that there had been with Max. Sure, they still had to be careful, but it was a more relaxed environment. Well, it was once they got the bedroom situation taken care of.

Liz smiled to herself as she removed the jeans and tee shirt that made up her uniform at the little café. She reached through the shower curtain and turned the shower on full blast. In a matter of minutes, steam filled the small bathroom.

Poor Kyle almost fell apart when he realized the small cabin only had one bedroom in it. She laughed when she remembered the expression on his face when she walked into the small bedroom.

"Kyle, relax," Liz had said. "We'll just pick up an air mattress at Wal-Mart, problem solved."

"God, Liz, I, please don't think that I planned this. I didn't." 

Liz couldn't help the bubble of laughter that had filled the room. "Kyle, I know you didn't. Don't worry."

"Well, I just don't want you to think I was trying to take advantage of you, or anything like that."

A thump in the living room pulled her out of her memories, and she turned towards wall that the bathroom shared with the living room. 

"Is that you, Kyle," she called.

"Wilma, I'm home!" Kyle shouted.

Liz pulled a towel around her and opened the door part way and stuck her head out into the living room.

"Hey," she said. "Dinner will be ready in about an hour. It's spaghetti and garlic bread. Sound good?"

"Great," Kyle said, his throat dry, at the thought of naked Liz in the shower. He had hoped his desire for her would lessen after their six months of close living, but it hadn't. He wanted her more than ever. 

"Kyle, are you listening to me?" Liz asked.

"Oh, uh, sure, what is it?" Kyle asked.

"I bought a mirror at Wal-Mart today. I was wondering if you could hang it up for me. I have it leaning against the wall where I want it hung."

"Sure, that's all I am to you, a handyman," Kyle grumbled, good-naturedly, trying to take his mind off of the discomfort in his groin.

"Thanks Kyle," Liz said, smiling. "I'll be out of the shower in a few minutes, I promise." She closed the bathroom door behind her. 

Kyle crossed the small living room and looked at the mirror Liz had picked out. It wasn't anything spectacular to look at, but she said that it would reflect the light from their fireplace and fill the room with a rosy glow. He wasn't about to argue, in fact, he'd pretty much given her full reign in the decorating department. She'd done a good job, too. She'd covered the threadbare sofa with a navy plaid cover, and coordinating pillows dotted the surface. On the floor were several small carpets, covering a floor scuffed from years of tenants. Curtains to match the cover on the sofa covered the windows, and the walls were decorated with photos both of them had taken on various hikes throughout the area.

He grabbed his hammer and a small nail and made short work of hanging the mirror. Pleased with himself, he stepped back to admire his handiwork, and then frowned. The mirror tilted to the left. He reached out to adjust it and caught his breath. The bathroom door hadn't latched tightly behind Liz, and had opened enough for Kyle to see Liz's reflection in the bathroom mirror as she toweled herself off.

He stared, unable to drag his eyes away from her beautiful body. He watched as she rubbed her arms with the towel, wiping away the excess moisture. She brought the towel across her breast, and he felt the all to familiar tightening in his groin as the soft terry fabric brushed against her nipples. He tried to stifle a groan as him mind imagined him his hand pressing against the slick moist surface of her breast. He could feel his finger gently flick her nipple and heard her groan as she became aroused.

"Focus, Kyle, focus," he said to himself. "Stop thinking about your best friend that way."

"Kyle, did you say something?" Liz asked as she emerged from the bathroom. 

"No, uh, no," he answered, grabbing his jacket and holding it in front of him to hide all signs of his arousal from her. "I'm just uh, going to go take a shower."

"I may have used all the hot water," she apologized.

"No, really, that's probably a good thing," he muttered, walking to the bathroom.

Dinner was strained, at least from Kyle's perspective. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't erase the image of Liz, naked, water dripping down her body, from his mind. He made short work of cleaning the kitchen since Liz cooked, and then, went outside into the cold night air to split some more wood against the upcoming storm.

There had been several storms since the arrived in Colorado, but weather forecasters were predicting that this storm was going to be huge, and he wanted to make sure that they had an ample supply of wood prepared in case the lines went down.

Liz, warned by the people in town, had stocked up on canned goods, and made foods that could be reheated over their fireplace. Certain they could do no more to prepare for upcoming storm, Kyle shouldered the axe and went back inside.

"Kyle, can we talk," Liz greeted him, when he entered the house.

"Yeah, sure, Liz, what's up?" Kyle asked, some of his equanimity restored from the physical labor.

"Are you angry about something?" She asked. "You've been acting kind of weird tonight."

For the first time in his life, Kyle lied to Liz.

"No, I was just worried about the storm," he said. "Hey, it's freezing out there, want to have some hot chocolate with me?"

"I already have it made," Liz said with a smile, pointing to the two steaming cups on the battered coffee table.

"Oh great," Kyle said, rubbing his hands together. He quickly shed his boots and jacket, and sat down on the couch and picked up the cup. Liz sat on one of the large cushions on the floor in front of the fire and looked at Kyle, a worried expression on her face.

"Are you sure there's nothing wrong?" she asked. "I'd hate to think you were angry about something and not tell me about it." 

"Seriously, Liz, I'm not angry. If I were, I'd tell you. I value you, and your friendship too much to play those kinds of games. Hey, this cocoa is good, it tastes like candy canes."

"I put a little bit of peppermint schnapps in it," Liz confessed. 

"Aren't you worried that some alien weirdness is going to ensue?" Kyle asked.

"No, not really," Liz said. "Max and Michael had reactions when they drank, but they weren't human. We are, and our bodies are used to alcohol."

"Well, if I start flying around the room, _don't_ open the door," Kyle joked.

"I promise," Liz said, smiling at him. Lately, when she looked at Kyle, she started getting strange feelings in her stomach. Almost as if she were - attracted to him. "I'm about ready to call it a night," she said to Kyle. "How about you?"

"Yeah, I'll be in, in just a few minutes. My week for the air mattress, right?"

"Yeah," said Liz. "I put clean sheets on this morning, and I turned on your electric blanket a little while ago.

"Thanks, Liz. What would I do without you?" Kyle asked. He stood up and reached for her empty cup. As he took it, he dropped a casual kiss on the top of her head, and she felt her heart jump up into her throat. 

"Liz. Liz, are you awake?" Kyle whispered.

"I am now," she groaned, lifting her head up from the pillow. "Oh, God, it's cold in here."

"That's why I'm waking you, the power's out. Do we have any extra blankets?"

"No, their all on the bed," she said, regretfully. "Maybe if we build up the fire in the fireplace?"

"No good, it won't warm up this room enough. I can pull the air mattress out there, and you can use that, and I'll sleep on that deathtrap of a couch," Kyle offered.

"Or you could just crawl in here, under the covers," Liz offered. She flipped back the covers and slid over to make room for him. "Hurry up, though, it's freezing in here."

Kyle didn't hesitate; he grabbed his pillow and tossed it up beside Liz, and grabbed the covers off of the air mattress and spread them out on the bed. When the covers were arranged, he climbed underneath them. 

"Thanks," he said, his teeth chattering. "I was freezing down there." 

"It's not a problem," Liz said, struggling to not reach out and wrap her arms around him. "Sweet dreams, Kyle."

"Sweet dreams, Liz," he whispered.

He awoke, as was his habit, fifteen minutes before the alarm on his watch went off. He stretched a little, enjoying the sensation of a warm body beside him. As his sleep fogged mind cleared, he realized that his hand was underneath Liz's shirt, cupping one of her breasts. He started to move it away, slowly so as not to disturb her. 

"Mmm, that feels nice," she said, in her sleep. "Don't stop."

He felt her hand reach up and grab his and guide it back to her breast. She moved against him, her bottom nestled snuggly against his erection, and he groaned. Almost against his will, his hand began to caress her breast.

She turned in his arms, and he felt her hand snake down to his stomach. Slowly the hand inched under the waistband of the sweats he wore to bed. He moved his hand to stop her; he couldn't bear to be a substitute for Max, when she opened her eyes.

"Please, Kyle?" she asked. "I need you."


	3. Chapter 3

_Part Three_

Liz woke slowly, emerging from her cocoon of sleep bit by bit. She liked waking up this way, instead of to the jarring ring of an alarm clock. It provided her with the opportunity to review the events of the previous day, and kind of go over her mental laundry list. It was something she didn't get to do frequently after they went on the run. Max always jumped right out of bed in the morning, and expected her to do the same.

She rolled over, and stretched languorously, enjoying the slight ache she felt in her muscles. She opened her eyes slowly and found Kyle resting his head on his arm, watching her with interest.

"Morning," she said

"Morning," he replied, unsure of how to proceed.

"Why didn't you wake me?" she asked.

"Well, first, you looked so beautiful just lying there, that I didn't want to bother you, but second, I remembered you telling me one time you liked to wake up slowly, at your own pace, and I just didn't have the heart to disturb you."

Liz smiled feeling like her heart was going to explode at the depth of Kyle's kindness. He was so different than Max. Max. The name brought a whole new set of emotions to the forefront of Liz's mind. It was something she was going to have to address, but not now. This thing with Kyle was too new, too fragile. She didn't want to injure it by bringing Max into the mix.

"I, uh, I made coffee," Kyle said, gripped by a sudden attack of shyness. He wasn't sure how to act. This was Liz, his friend, but suddenly, everything was different. What if this was only a one time thing?

"Coffee would be great," Liz said, smiling at Kyle. "Do you think we should try to get into work, today?"

"Oh," Kyle said, relieved to have something to talk about. "Actually, I managed to get a hold of Vera on my cell. She said to stay home today, and probably tomorrow. The whole town is shut down. She said for us to not even try and get off the mountain until they send a plow up to us. They'll get to us as soon as possible, but we're not high on the priority list right now."

"Makes sense," said Liz.

They sat on the bed, side by side physically, but worlds apart emotionally as they tried to make sense of this new development between them. Finally Liz said she was going to go take a shower, and then she'd fix them some breakfast to go with the coffee that Kyle made.

"I left some water heating over the fire," Kyle said. "We still don't have any power."

"Oh," Liz said, flushing with embarrassment. "I didn't think about that. Thanks Kyle, it was really sweet of you to do that for me." She looked around and found her outsized flannel shirt in a pile on the floor, and she reached down, picked it up and pulled it on. She slid out of the bed quickly, trying not to let the cold air in the room touch Kyle, and walked quickly out of the room.

Once in the main living area of the cabin, she paused, trying to make sense of everything that had happened, but she wasn't able to. She walked over to the fireplace and added several more logs and watched as the flames flickered merrily. The water in the large back kettle suspended over the fire heated, sending spirals of steam into the air. Looking around, Liz found the pail Kyle had used to fill the kettle with the snow that he melted for water. She dipped out some of the water into the pail, leaving plenty for Kyle and carried it into the bathroom.

_Not loving this pioneer thing too much,_ she thought to herself as she sponged off in the privacy of the small bathroom. Liz pulled the shirt off and dropped it to the floor and dropped her facecloth into the warm water. As she washed, her mind drifted back to the events of the previous night. Sex with Kyle was – well it was wonderful. With Max, sex was good, too, but it had always been so serious, almost like it was a sacred act. Liz got that. Sex was sacred, and it wasn't something to be done indiscriminately, but it could be fun, too – and playful. And with Kyle, it was. It was sacred, there was a sense of wonderment about it, but it was also fun. She wasn't afraid to laugh with Kyle. And the sex itself, well, it was mind blowing to say the least.

Liz looked into the mirror and saw her face wearing a very contented, satisfied smile looking back at her. Her face flushed as she remembered some of the things Kyle had done to her, and she had done to him. She had allowed him liberties she had never allowed Max. He touched her both physically and emotionally in ways Max never had. 

A loud roaring engine interrupted her musings, and she quickly finished her morning ablutions and exited the bathroom, pulling the flannel shirt over her head as she went.

The roaring sound grew louder for a minute and then began to fade, and Liz realized that it was the snowplow making it's way back down their mountain road after clearing them out. Kyle walked out of the bedroom, wearing nothing but a faded pair of blue jeans. He stopped when he saw her standing there, and his voice caught in his throat. 

"Hey," he said, finally.

"Hey." 

"I thought you were still in the bathroom," he said. "I'll just go back in,"

"Kyle, don't," Liz said. She held out her hand to him, and took a step in his direction. "I don't want it to be like this between us. Last night was wonderful, and I'm so glad that it happened," she finished in a rush. She stood there, hand still extended, her lower lip caught between her teeth as she waited for his response.

"Liz," he said with relief. "I was so afraid you were regretting what happened. I thought I had just lost my best friend, and I couldn't stand that."

"No chance of that," Liz said, releasing her breath in a silent whoosh of relief. "Nothing, no matter what happens between us will ever ruin our friendship. What was it you said last night? Whatever it takes?"

"I wasn't talking about our friendship when I said that," Kyle said, suggestively.

Liz flushed as she remembered exactly what Kyle _had_ been talking about when he said that, and Kyle took the opportunity to step forward and swing Liz up into his arms. He was halfway back to their bedroom when a pounding on the door interrupted them. Kyle paused, and looked back at the door, and then at Liz.

"I don't suppose we could just ignore them and hope they go way?" Liz asked hopefully.

"Somebody could be stranded, Kyle said, regretfully. We'd better see who it is."

He set Liz back on her feet and the two walked to the door. Kyle's hand reached down to caress her bear behind just as she started to open the door.

Laughing, Liz reached for the door and opened it while Kyle stood behind her enjoying the view her shapely legs provided. A blast of arctic are filled the cabin, and Liz stepped back reflexively, and Kyle's arms encircled her protectively.

"Max," she said in shock to the tall figure in the door.


	4. Chapter 4

_Part Four_

"What are you doing here, Max?" Kyle asked. He moved closer to Liz and put his arm on her shoulder. The gesture was to comfort her, but it also sent a clear message to Max – a message Max didn't like at all.

"I'm here to bring Liz back," Max said. "She belongs with me." 

Liz's blood began to boil. Max had no right, earthly or otherwise to decide where she belonged.

"Liz belongs wherever Liz decides she belongs Max," Kyle said. "That's not a decision anybody gets to make but her."

"That's bull, and you know it, Valenti. You were always pissed because Liz dumped you for me. You couldn't stand it, even after all these years," Max ranted.

"Max. Max! Will you listen to me?" Liz shouted. "This isn't helping. What your doing isn't helping anything. Now why don't you come in, and sit down, and we'll talk."

Liz shot a pleading look at Kyle, and he stepped back, giving Max access to the small cabin. He stepped in and looked around at their furniture consisting of thrift store finds and castoffs and snorted contemptuously. Kyle glared at Max before he turned and walked out of the room, slamming the door behind him.

"Why don't you sit down, Max," Liz said, trying to keep her voice calm. "I need to, well, I need to go get dressed. I'll be back in a minute."

She moved gracefully across the small room, and Max felt his heart leap into his throat when he watched her go through the same door Kyle had just gone through. It had to be the bedroom. His heart had already died a thousand deaths when they opened the door together. They looked like they had just gotten out of bed – together.

Max paced the perimeter of the small room, looking at the various knickknacks Liz had dotted around the room. His gaze shifted to the various photos displayed on the walls, and he moved in for a closer look, admiring the beauty of the compositions. One photograph in particular caught his attention. It was of Liz, she was standing beside a waterfall, and droplets of water shimmered in her hair. Max admired the skill and talent of the photographer, as well as the beauty of his subject as he waited for Liz.

He heard a door slam, and he turned to find Kyle pulling on a jacket. He stormed out of the cabin before Max could say anything, and it was only after he was gone that he realized that Kyle had a camera in his hand, and a camera bag on his shoulder.

_Kyle took those?_ he thought with amazement. He turned back to the picture of Liz, and examined it closely and realized he could see the love the photographer had for the subject in the image.

"Kyle took that," Liz said softly, coming to stand behind him.

"Yeah, I kind of figured that," said Max. "I saw him leave with a camera. He's good," he added grudgingly.

"He is," Liz agreed. "But it's more than that. He really loves it, and I think it shows in his work."

"Liz, what happened?" Max asked, changing the subject abruptly. "Everything was fine between us."

"No, it wasn't, Max. "But you didn't want to hear anything I had to say," Liz replied. "I wasn't happy, and we weren't safe, no matter how much you wanted to believe that we were."

"But Liz, I love you so much," Max said.

He looked at her, his eyes shining brightly, and she felt her heart start to melt just a little bit. Forcing herself to stay strong, Liz took a deep breath.

"Max, that's just it, I love you too, but I'm not _in_ love with you, and I need to be in love with the man I'm with."

Max felt his stomach drop at the words 'the man I'm with.' He didn't know if she meant it in the literal sense, but judging from the scene he walked in on, that was exactly what she meant.

"Max, listen, I loved you with all my heart and soul, but I think a part of me loved the adventure too. But things changed, _I_ changed. We grew up, Max, and I wanted more. I wanted more than to always be running and looking over my shoulder, and you couldn't give that too me."

Max looked hurt at her revelation, and she rushed to continue.

"Max, it's because you felt this incredible need to keep us all together as a group. You needed to be the king, Max. There's nothing wrong with that, it's who you are. It's who you were destined to become from the minute you emerged from your pod. And Max, you're a good king, but I'm not a loyal subject."

Liz took his hand in hers and squeezed it gently. "Max, I'm not criticizing you, I just needed something different."

"Well you got your wish," Max said, bitterly. "We all split up, anyhow."

"Are you still in contact with everyone," Liz asked eagerly. "Where did Michael and Maria go? And how is Isabel?"

"_Michael and Isabel_ are in Seattle, and Maria's in New York," Max said. "See, we're all split up."

"You left Maria alone in New York without any protection?" Liz demanded, her face filled with fury. "Max, how could you?"

"Give me a little credit, will you, Liz," said Max. "I've been in New York with her. I only came out here to see if I could persuade you to come home. Oh, and Maria asked me to give you this." He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out an envelope.

Liz eagerly tore it open, anxious for any news from her best friend. Her eyes scanned the letter rapidly, then she went back to the beginning and read it slowly, savoring each word.

_Hey Chica, ___

_Nice disappearing act you pulled. I get why, and I think, on some level, Max does too. ___

_Now, before you ask, I'm really happy that Michael and Isabel hooked up. They're perfect for each other. She's managed to smooth out some of his rough edges in a way I never could, and he doesn't let her get away with any crap. ___

_Max is there with you because I made him go, Chica. So if you're angry, blame me. He needed to see with his own eyes that it's over. I'm hoping that if he sees that, maybe he'll see that there's someone else waiting for him. At least I hope he'll see it. But I guess if Kyle shows up at my door any time soon, you guys will have worked it all out. ___

_I miss you, Liz. Maybe someday we can all be together again, but I know that time isn't now. But maybe someday." ___

_Love, ___

_Maria_

Liz smiled and slipped the letter into her back pocket. _So that's how it is,_ she thought to herself. _Maria and Max._ It seemed pretty fitting actually. The two of them had bonded when she went to Florida that one summer, and their bond had grown stronger when they were on the run. Liz wished them both the best with all her heart.

"You're not going to come back with me, are you?" Max asked.

"No." 

"Do you love him, Liz? I mean really, really love him?" Max asked. 

"Yeah, I do. It's different than us, Max. We were first love. It was new and different. With Kyle, well, with Kyle it's all that, and more. I wish I could explain it better, but I can't. I'm sorry, but there is no us any longer. You'll always be my friend, and I'll always love you, and I hope you'll feel the same about me, but it's time to move on."

Max sighed; he knew it was over. He'd known it for a long time. Maybe even before Liz left. He'd just never accepted it – now he did. 

"Can I talk to Kyle before I leave?" Max asked.

"Why?" Liz asked, suddenly wary.

"Why?" Max asked. "Liz, despite everything, we were all friends. We were together twenty-four hours a day while when we were on the road. I'd like to say goodbye to him. That's all, okay?"

"Okay, Max, I'm sorry," Liz said. "I shouldn't have doubted you. "He's probably out back. I'll go call him."

Liz stepped into her boots and shrugged on her coat before she stepped out into the snow-covered yard. She called out to Kyle, and he appeared before her so quickly, she wondered if he'd been waiting for her.

"Kyle, Max wanted to say goodbye before he left."

"You – you're not going with him, then?" he asked. His eyes shown with joy and his face lighted up, and Liz swore the sun dimmed in comparison to the happiness that radiated from him.

"Did you think I was?" she asked, a bit hurt by his assumption.

"I hoped to hell you weren't, but I didn't know what Max might say to convince you," he admitted.

"He didn't even try," said Liz. "Not really, anyhow. But he's leaving, and he wants to say goodbye to you. I'll wait out here." 

Kyle went in through the kitchen, knocking the snow off his boots and shedding his jacket. When he entered the living room, Max was again looking at the picture he'd taken of Liz. He looked hard at Max, and gave him a small shove with his mind. The ability to mind warp was relatively new to him, but he used it on Max, with no compunction whatsoever. Liz didn't want to be with Max any longer, she'd made that clear, and he'd do whatever it took to make sure Max realized that.

"Whatever it takes," he whispered softly.

"Oh, Kyle, I didn't hear you come in," Max said. "Did you just say something?"

"Oh, uh, no," said Kyle. "I was just clearing my throat. So you uh, like the pictures?"

"It's nice," Max said, pointing to the photo. "They all are." 

"Thanks," Kyle said. "I had a great subject to work with."

"Kyle, look, I just wanted to say, hell, I don't know, I don't know what to say. I'm mad as hell, but I also realize that there's nothing between Liz and I any longer. She's right. I love her, but I'm not in love with her. That's what she said about me, and I didn't get it at first, but the more I thought about it, the more sense it made. And if she's going to be with anybody, I'm glad it's somebody I know and trust."

Max reached into his wallet and pulled out a slip of paper with some writing on it. He passed it to Kyle.

"These are our addresses and phone numbers," he said. "We shouldn't lose contact with each other."

"No, you're right," Kyle agreed, looking at the paper. _Max and Maria together,_ he thought to himself in amazement. _That's the way it is?_

He watched silently as Max fastened his coat against the cold. Without thinking, he reached out and pulled the picture of Liz off the wall and handed it to Max.

"Here, why don't you take this," he said. "Maria might like to have it."

Max smiled a sad smile of thanks and slipped the photo into his coat. 

"Tell Liz," he began.

"I will," Kyle said.

Max quickly left the small house, and Liz came and joined Kyle as they watched him drive away.

"You okay?" Kyle asked, watching a single tear trace a path down her cheek.

"Yeah, it's just kind of hard, you know?" she said.

"Saying goodbye usually is," Kyle said, remembering the tearful goodbye he shared with his father the night they left Roswell. "Don't worry, we'll be fine. It will all work out. Whatever it takes, remember?" 

"That's right," said Liz, smiling through the tears. "Whatever it takes." 

Kyle slipped his arm around Liz's waist and squeezed it gently. She looked up at him and smiled, and he dropped a quick kiss on her upturned face.

"Whatever it takes."

The End


End file.
